On Monday, with Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman casting the tie-breaking vote, the State Senate narrowly passed the union’s concessions deal that had earlier been accepted by the House. The measure, which was ratified by unionized state employees in July, is projected to save the state $1.5 billion over two years. However, while the concessions outlined in the deal will shore up some of the estimated $5 billion estimated deficit over the next two years, budget uncertainties persist as cuts to some of Connecticut’s crucial human services programs remain on the line.

As reported in this article by the CT Mirror, cuts to human services agencies began on August 1, one month into the executive order signed by Gov. Malloy. In the absence of an adopted budget, the Governor’s executive order saw reductions in funding for various agencies including the departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Developmental Disabilities, Correction, Social Services, and Rehabilitation Services. If a budget is not adopted by September 1, further cuts to human services are outlined by the Governor’s executive order. Finally, as budget negotiations continue, it is likely that other programs that serve Connecticut’s most vulnerable populations will face substantial funding cuts. In light of recent and potential additional threats to programs that serve Connecticut’s low-income families, we are calling for stories to share with lawmakers about the importance of these programs and services.

To show legislators why programs like Medicaid, Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA), State-Administered General Assistance (SAGA) and other vitally important childcare, housing, and basic needs programs must be protected, we are collecting stories of how these programs have impacted the lives of people in our communities. We ask that providers that work with individuals served by these types of programs help gather stories about the impact of human services programs on the families in our state.

We have assembled the template below to help gather these stories so they can be shared with House and Senate leadership. Stories should respect the privacy of individual clients and do not need to contain any identifying information. We thank you for sharing this message within your networks, and for helping to mobilize the voices of those impacted by potential cuts to essential programs.

Please send these stories to Rep. Joe Aresimowicz, Rep. Matt Ritter, Sen. Martin Looney and Sen. Bob Duff. If you prefer to call them instead, you can reach Sen. Looney and Duff at 860-240-8600 and Rep. Aresimowicz and Ritter at 860-240-8500. You can send the same story to each of them.